An Atlas of Extinct Countries
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- Create Date：2021-05-26 03:19:32
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Defoe Gideon
- ISBN：B08JHHL7YZ
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Summary
Prisoners of Geography meets Bill Bryson: a funny， fascinating， beautifully illustrated – and timely – history of countries that， for myriad and often ludicrous reasons， no longer exist。
Countries die。 Sometimes it's murder， sometimes it's by accident， and sometimes it's because they were so ludicrous they didnt deserve to exist in the first place。 Occasionally they explode violently。 A few slip away almost unnoticed。 Often the cause of death is either 'got too greedy' or 'Napoleon turned up'。 Now and then they just hold a referendum and vote themselves out of existence。
This is an atlas of 48 nations that fell off the map。 The polite way of writing an obituary is: dwell on the good bits， gloss over the embarrassing stuff。 This book refuses to do so， because these dead nations are so full of schemers， racists， and con men that it's impossible to skip the embarrassing stuff。
Because of this - and because treating nation-states with too much reverence is the entire problem with pretty much everything - these accounts are not concerned with adding to the earnest flag saluting in the world， however nice some of the flags might be。
Countries die。 Sometimes it's murder， sometimes it's by accident， and sometimes it's because they were so ludicrous they didnt deserve to exist in the first place。 Occasionally they explode violently。 A few slip away almost unnoticed。 Often the cause of death is either 'got too greedy' or 'Napoleon turned up'。 Now and then they just hold a referendum and vote themselves out of existence。
This is an atlas of 48 nations that fell off the map。 The polite way of writing an obituary is: dwell on the good bits， gloss over the embarrassing stuff。 This book refuses to do so， because these dead nations are so full of schemers， racists， and con men that it's impossible to skip the embarrassing stuff。
Because of this - and because treating nation-states with too much reverence is the entire problem with pretty much everything - these accounts are not concerned with adding to the earnest flag saluting in the world， however nice some of the flags might be。
Reviews
Brenda
，
Whether the extinct country was actually a country or not （！） Gideon Defoe uses wit， humour and illustrations to describe several in this chuckle-worthy book。 Even the introduction and acknowledgement are fun。 Several are commonly known （Kingdom of Bavaria and pouffy hair lover eccentric King Ludwig II who nearly bankrupted his country but is endlessly fascinating nonetheless） and others such as The Islands of Refreshment and The Fiume Endeavour not so much。 The author tidily summarizes informat Whether the extinct country was actually a country or not （！） Gideon Defoe uses wit， humour and illustrations to describe several in this chuckle-worthy book。 Even the introduction and acknowledgement are fun。 Several are commonly known （Kingdom of Bavaria and pouffy hair lover eccentric King Ludwig II who nearly bankrupted his country but is endlessly fascinating nonetheless） and others such as The Islands of Refreshment and The Fiume Endeavour not so much。 The author tidily summarizes information such as population， language， currency， cause of death and what the ex country is （part of） today。Some of the stories make me wonder whether the founders felt just a little silly "organizing" a country at whim without forethought。 A few had realistic intentions but others were doomed to fail in minutes。 Either way， the stories are riveting and the reader can't help but to admire the founders' tenacity and courage （lunacy？）。 Read about the country's name you don't want to have to address on envelopes。 Neutral Moresnet seems more legitimate with its zinc mine which is now part of Belgium （lucky you！）。 Then there's the embarrassing attack on a group not their enemy and another， a revivalist of sorts， which in 1994 gave visitors vouchers for a dinner and wine。 A few founders were scammers， too。 One country is named after number 44 in the periodic table。 But wait。。。there's more！ You will also read about country flags。 One of my favourite witty bits is the Acknowledgements。Who isn't interested in countries which were and were not with facts， statistics and presumptions？ It has appeal for both Fiction and Non Fiction readers。My sincere thank you to Europa Editions and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this amusing book！ The author's way with words makes the information more memorable。 。。。more
Sarah
，
This was an entertaining read about the， frequently short， lives of extinct countries。 I enjoyed learning more about these countries through history and the circumstances that lead to their creation and downfall。
Isabelle
，
I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review。 An Atlas of Extinct Countries is an interesting beast。 I went into this microhistory non-fiction expecting in-depth analysis into failed civilizations such as Carthage and the USSR。 Instead I got short summaries into white male colonialism delusions， lost causes， and political puppet states。 These summaries are written in that trademark British dry humor that literally made me laugh out loud。 As De I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review。 An Atlas of Extinct Countries is an interesting beast。 I went into this microhistory non-fiction expecting in-depth analysis into failed civilizations such as Carthage and the USSR。 Instead I got short summaries into white male colonialism delusions， lost causes， and political puppet states。 These summaries are written in that trademark British dry humor that literally made me laugh out loud。 As Defoe states， "There is a strong argument to be made that a full 90 percent of the the reason people start countries in the first place is because they want an excuse to get into flag design。"In the beginning Defoe starts with unheard of countries such as The Great Republic of Rough & Ready， The Islands of Refreshments， and The Soviet Repuic of Soldiers & Fortress-Builders of Naissaar （to name a few）。 He then moves onto nations such as the Serene Republic of Venice， the Republic of Texas （which as a native Texan I had to take an entire year of history learning about at the age of 12）， The Congo Free State （an oxymoron）， and Yugoslavia; each of which I've studied since they're historically relevant （no offense to the Republic of Rough &。Ready）。 Some of the stories are funny， some are depressing， and some show how international superpowers really don't care about technicalities。 This is one of those books that fill you with generally useless facts that might win you a lot of money on Jeopardy or more likely in your local game of pub trivia。 The historically relevant nations it covers aren't explored in enough detail to give you more than the general idea of what happened and the rest are either cautionary tales or funny historical anecdotes。 Overall， I'm a sucker when it comes to both British humor and useless facts so An Atlas of Extinct Countries hit both targets。 But be warned， if you're looking for serious analysis this is not the book for you。 Overall I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for microhistory fans that enjoy their trivia facts with a side of snark。 。。。more
Dan
，
My thanks to NetGalley and Europa Editions for an advanced copy of this reference book。Gideon Defoe， author of the Pyrates series has written a new reference for those who chase windmills， those that go West， usually young men， and those who want to pay nothing in taxes， ingest whatever substances they can into their bodies， and what the heck be the sole ruler of your own country because it is good to be the King。Mr。 Defoe writes of real places， countries used as tax dodges， tobacco consortiums， My thanks to NetGalley and Europa Editions for an advanced copy of this reference book。Gideon Defoe， author of the Pyrates series has written a new reference for those who chase windmills， those that go West， usually young men， and those who want to pay nothing in taxes， ingest whatever substances they can into their bodies， and what the heck be the sole ruler of your own country because it is good to be the King。Mr。 Defoe writes of real places， countries used as tax dodges， tobacco consortiums， fiefdoms， kingdoms and others that appeared and disappeared almost as suddenly， and remembered only in texts like these。 Most share the common theme of being places ruled by people who wanted to make a quick buck， cheat somebody out of something， or just delusions of grandeur， with some rare exceptions。 The articles are brief， the history concise and to the point， why they came about， and why they aren't around any more。 Perfect for a gift for that parent that always wants the latest almanac， or for a cryptocurrency kingpin with grand delusions。 。。。more
Steve
，
I loved this book。 It is informative and funny （read the footnotes）。 Author Gideon Defoe discusses some countries that really existed long ago， some countries that only existed in some people’s minds， and some that existed up until recently。 Each entry has a stylized map showing the location of these extinct countries。 None of the entries are very long and I fell into the trap of reading just one more。 It was never just one。 Overall this book is a great light read and is well worth it。 Thank you I loved this book。 It is informative and funny （read the footnotes）。 Author Gideon Defoe discusses some countries that really existed long ago， some countries that only existed in some people’s minds， and some that existed up until recently。 Each entry has a stylized map showing the location of these extinct countries。 None of the entries are very long and I fell into the trap of reading just one more。 It was never just one。 Overall this book is a great light read and is well worth it。 Thank you to Netgalley and Europa Editions for the advance reader copy。 。。。more
Annie
，
Gideon Defoe’s breezy book， An Atlas of Extinct Countries， is the kind of nonfiction I delight in。 Defoe recounts the stories of 48 nations （more or less） that have mostly been forgotten。 Some lasted for a few centuries。 Others had histories lasting less than a year。 A few were accidents made by cartographers。 Others were grandiose projects launched by even more grandiose men （who were sometimes con artists）。 More than once， Defoe had me laughing at the wild stories he shared in these brief chap Gideon Defoe’s breezy book， An Atlas of Extinct Countries， is the kind of nonfiction I delight in。 Defoe recounts the stories of 48 nations （more or less） that have mostly been forgotten。 Some lasted for a few centuries。 Others had histories lasting less than a year。 A few were accidents made by cartographers。 Others were grandiose projects launched by even more grandiose men （who were sometimes con artists）。 More than once， Defoe had me laughing at the wild stories he shared in these brief chapters。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Edelweiss， for review consideration。 。。。more
Ula
，
An entertaining and sometimes baffling global tour， dipping into history， geography and human eccentricity。 Every chapter is devoted to another “extinct country”， some of which are familiar to the ordinary reader， like Bavaria or Texas， and some of which sounds like pure fantasy - but all of these outlandish stories are true。 Perfect gift for fans of maps and peculiar stories。Thanks to the publisher， Europa Editions， and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book
Purple Lorikeet
，
Throughout the history of the world， the countries that have existed have been through constant change。 Sometimes there's an invasion and sometimes it's just a case of an unclaimed island being claimed。 This adorable book covers forty-eight countries that once existed but are now， in the words of the author， extinct， If you are looking for extensive information， this is not the place to go。 Only a few pages are devoted to each country and one of those pages is a map。 It's a fun book with humorou Throughout the history of the world， the countries that have existed have been through constant change。 Sometimes there's an invasion and sometimes it's just a case of an unclaimed island being claimed。 This adorable book covers forty-eight countries that once existed but are now， in the words of the author， extinct， If you are looking for extensive information， this is not the place to go。 Only a few pages are devoted to each country and one of those pages is a map。 It's a fun book with humorous accounts of how countries came to be and again how they ceased to be。 It's short and sweet and great for those with limited attention spans。 I really liked the way the writer pokes fun at so many of these entries。 The comments become more irreverent as we progress through the book。 After all， there are some recurring themes like greed， power， and money that are easy targets。 Just when you think a country's story couldn't be more ludicrous， you are proved wrong。 This book is a delightful read and I give it 3。5 stars。 Thank you to Netgalley and Europa Editions for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more
Cari Allen
，
An Atlas of Extinct Countries is a delightful read， full of fun facts and written with a dry， witty humor。 Covering many “extinct” countries， some genuine nations and others imagined by its populace as having an independence not necessarily recognized by others， this historical trip around the world is well researched， short and concise。 I found myself often reading passages out loud and laughing with my spouse。 Definitely recommended for history buffs and fans of unusual trivia。Thank you to Net An Atlas of Extinct Countries is a delightful read， full of fun facts and written with a dry， witty humor。 Covering many “extinct” countries， some genuine nations and others imagined by its populace as having an independence not necessarily recognized by others， this historical trip around the world is well researched， short and concise。 I found myself often reading passages out loud and laughing with my spouse。 Definitely recommended for history buffs and fans of unusual trivia。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Stephen
，
This is an amusing account of many countries that you probably never heard of and a few that you probably did know about。 All have one thing in common: they don't exist anymore。 Each well researched and accessibly presented chapter will tell you the history of the country， and what its status is now （e。g。 part of some other country）。 I loved the writers tongue in cheek approach。 It was never flippant， just a dry wit that made a potentially dry subject a pleasure to read。 There are some interesti This is an amusing account of many countries that you probably never heard of and a few that you probably did know about。 All have one thing in common: they don't exist anymore。 Each well researched and accessibly presented chapter will tell you the history of the country， and what its status is now （e。g。 part of some other country）。 I loved the writers tongue in cheek approach。 It was never flippant， just a dry wit that made a potentially dry subject a pleasure to read。 There are some interesting facts in there too， although perhaps largely of use to trivia fans。 。。。more
James （JD） Dittes
，
When I saw the title， one word came to mind:Prussia。It's in all the history books。 It was the home to great kings and thinkers--Frederick the Great， Alexander von Humboldt， Immanuel Kant。 It forged Germany， but it isn't in Germany--or anywhere for that matter。 But dour， grey， Europe-quaking Prussia didn't make Defoe's Atlas。What appears instead is a rollicking array of "nations" more likely sourced from Ripley's Believe It Or Not！ than from any actual history book。 You'll read of con men， frauds When I saw the title， one word came to mind:Prussia。It's in all the history books。 It was the home to great kings and thinkers--Frederick the Great， Alexander von Humboldt， Immanuel Kant。 It forged Germany， but it isn't in Germany--or anywhere for that matter。 But dour， grey， Europe-quaking Prussia didn't make Defoe's Atlas。What appears instead is a rollicking array of "nations" more likely sourced from Ripley's Believe It Or Not！ than from any actual history book。 You'll read of con men， frauds and megalomaniacs， and of the dark corners of continents where even empires fear to tread。 Defoe's atlas spans the world with extinct countries in all continents except Antarctica and unknown islands among the seven seas。There are tales of nations from living memory: East Germany， Yugoslavia， come to mind。 But in general Dafoe keeps the tone light， the facts and anecdotes streaming at a lively pace。 Appendices covering some of the more interesting flags and "emo" anthems of the nations will tack on a few final chuckles。Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the book in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Ann
，
"This is an atlas of 48 nations that fell off the map。" Some lasted a day or two and others survived for a thousand years until meeting their demise。 Mixing his sense of the absurd with hilarious social commentary， Gideon Defoe delivers to the reader the basics of these territories and small countries: dates in existence; population; cause of death; and where the nation ended up。 Then he goes after the conmen， racists， madmen， and schemers who caused all the problems and describes their flawed p "This is an atlas of 48 nations that fell off the map。" Some lasted a day or two and others survived for a thousand years until meeting their demise。 Mixing his sense of the absurd with hilarious social commentary， Gideon Defoe delivers to the reader the basics of these territories and small countries: dates in existence; population; cause of death; and where the nation ended up。 Then he goes after the conmen， racists， madmen， and schemers who caused all the problems and describes their flawed plans。You don't have to read this straight through， although I enjoyed it so much I just kept reading。 So many rabbit holes to go down。 My first was Lola Montez in The Kingdom of Bavaria （1805-1918）。 My attention was also caught by a story about Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman who dreamed all his life of visiting People's Republic of Tannu Tuva's （1921-44） capital Kyzyl。 After trying to get permission for years from the USSR， which annexed the country in 1944， a letter granting permission finally arrived two days after his death！ Personally， I always hoped to sail to Rapa Nui/Easter Island （1200-1888） but that's not going to happen either。 This charming book can take you traveling the world and keep you busy researching for days。Even though there's a grown-up bibliography， this is not a reference book。 It is a conversation starter and a perfect gift。 Definitely a book worthy of any history enthusiast！I received an advanced copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 #AnAtlasofExtinctCountries #NetGalley 。。。more
Michelle Louise
，
The world as we know it is constantly evolving， constantly changing， and with it， countries change。 They rise and fall like the tides。 This book is a humorous look at several countries， principalities， and nation-states that have been left in the rear view window for one reason or the other。 And it's a lot of fun。。。。---An Atlas of Extinct Countries isn't going to win you any geography medals， but it was what I really needed right now。 It's not an atlas in how most people think of the term （altho The world as we know it is constantly evolving， constantly changing， and with it， countries change。 They rise and fall like the tides。 This book is a humorous look at several countries， principalities， and nation-states that have been left in the rear view window for one reason or the other。 And it's a lot of fun。。。。---An Atlas of Extinct Countries isn't going to win you any geography medals， but it was what I really needed right now。 It's not an atlas in how most people think of the term （although it does technically fit the definition。。。 technically）。 It's a lighthearted and unflinching look at some of the countries that used to exist。。。 including ones in the reader's lifetime。。。 assuming that the reader was born prior to 2014。 The book is fun。 It's laid out as kind of an oversized obituary for the country and includes things like A Maternity Ward in Canada， Parts of Florida， Still more parts of Florida， Texas， and a whole slew of other， now defunct， countries。 The entries generally include a generalized map of the nation， how long it existed for， and how it died。 You get some history， amusing commentary， and general information about the country。 The book would be perfect for fans of Rejected Princesses， How the States Got Their Shapes， and One Night Stands with American History。 It's fun， it's educational， it's a great light read。 Five Stars。I received a ARC of this book via NetGalley 。。。more
Luke
，
A well-humoured look at the histories and legacies of forgotten and failed countries and nations throughout history。I enjoyed it for the most part but I would say the sense of humour is a little bit not to my taste。 I'm not asking that the whole book be an insufferably dry lecture， but some of the jokes just fall flat for me because I'm a miserable curmudgeon who won't smile。 A well-humoured look at the histories and legacies of forgotten and failed countries and nations throughout history。I enjoyed it for the most part but I would say the sense of humour is a little bit not to my taste。 I'm not asking that the whole book be an insufferably dry lecture， but some of the jokes just fall flat for me because I'm a miserable curmudgeon who won't smile。 。。。more
Darius Ostrowski
，
“An Atlas of Extinct Countries” by Gideon Defoe is a very humorous look at countries which have popped up and disappeared throughout history， some for a few days and some for much， much longer。 We are introduced to 48 different countries which no longer exist – each country has a brief description， a hand drawn map， and a couple of pages describing how/why the country was founded and how/why the country disappeared。Those expecting a serious discussion about international relations， the concept o “An Atlas of Extinct Countries” by Gideon Defoe is a very humorous look at countries which have popped up and disappeared throughout history， some for a few days and some for much， much longer。 We are introduced to 48 different countries which no longer exist – each country has a brief description， a hand drawn map， and a couple of pages describing how/why the country was founded and how/why the country disappeared。Those expecting a serious discussion about international relations， the concept of statehood， or an in-depth history of fallen nations should look elsewhere。 A good majority of these stories involve conmen and/or some sort of scam or error。 With the possible exception of Yugoslavia， all of these stories involve shady dealings about places most of us have never heard of。Mr。 Defoe is a funny man， and I do appreciate his viewpoint on the ridiculousness of the concepts of a political country。 However， I was expecting a little more historical fact and a little less humor and slapstick。 An interesting read about the silliness of politics。I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Europa Editions / Europa Compass via NetGalley。 Thank you！ 。。。more
OutlawPoet
，
To be fair， there are a few countries in this Atlas that never existed at all。 But whether they existed in reality or in one pompous man’s ambitious dreams， all are fascinating。This is a very readable – and very snarky – history of places and people that failed miserably。You can page through it to see what catches your attention， or read straight through， but every entry is definitely worth reading！The author is dry and funny and definitely gives the side eye to invaders of all stripes。I thoroug To be fair， there are a few countries in this Atlas that never existed at all。 But whether they existed in reality or in one pompous man’s ambitious dreams， all are fascinating。This is a very readable – and very snarky – history of places and people that failed miserably。You can page through it to see what catches your attention， or read straight through， but every entry is definitely worth reading！The author is dry and funny and definitely gives the side eye to invaders of all stripes。I thoroughly enjoyed this one！*ARC via Net Galley 。。。more
Bookgrrl
，
3。25 starsThis is an amusing， lighthearted look at a number of countries that no longer exist。 Some of them existed for hundreds of years， some for just a couple of days。 Some had millions of residents， and some only had a few。 There are a couple of countries that most of us should have some knowledge of， such as East Germany and the Republic of Texas。 But most are places that you’ve never heard of。 If you are looking for in-depth and detailed discussions on each of these places， look elsewhere。 3。25 starsThis is an amusing， lighthearted look at a number of countries that no longer exist。 Some of them existed for hundreds of years， some for just a couple of days。 Some had millions of residents， and some only had a few。 There are a couple of countries that most of us should have some knowledge of， such as East Germany and the Republic of Texas。 But most are places that you’ve never heard of。 If you are looking for in-depth and detailed discussions on each of these places， look elsewhere。 Each country only covers a few pages in the book， and each entry is presented in a humorous and sardonic fashion。 So if you’re writing your history doctoral thesis I wouldn’t use this book as a reference， as the facts are a bit loosey-goosey。 But if you’re someone like me who enjoys obscure history trivia then this is a fun read。Thank you to NetGalley & Europa Editions for this advanced reader copy。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Zeb Kantrowitz
，
This is an unusual book in that the more unique a country （some lasted 1 day） the better chance it has to be listed in this tome。 You have to laugh at some of them and others are sad because they didn't have a chance of surviving。At least to me there really isn't anything to review。 Defoe has done a fine job in what he stated the book was to be about， so nothing else needs to be said。 This is an unusual book in that the more unique a country （some lasted 1 day） the better chance it has to be listed in this tome。 You have to laugh at some of them and others are sad because they didn't have a chance of surviving。At least to me there really isn't anything to review。 Defoe has done a fine job in what he stated the book was to be about， so nothing else needs to be said。 。。。more
Bene Vogt
，
The funniest collection of reports on genocide， slavery and racism you are likely to ever read！
Lisa
，
My thanks to Gideon Defoe， Europa Compass/Editions and Netgalley。This book was an immediate "get" for me。 I have this weird thing with maps。 I want to know all past and present countries and their placement。 How they got there and why。 I have maps all over my bedroom walls and ceiling。 I enjoyed the heck out of this book。 The author also has a dry wit， that made for easy reading。 My thanks to Gideon Defoe， Europa Compass/Editions and Netgalley。This book was an immediate "get" for me。 I have this weird thing with maps。 I want to know all past and present countries and their placement。 How they got there and why。 I have maps all over my bedroom walls and ceiling。 I enjoyed the heck out of this book。 The author also has a dry wit， that made for easy reading。 。。。more
JukeBexHero
，
Very funny in that good British tongue-in-cheek way， and doesn't shy away from the fact that When White Europeans Show Up， Situations Tend To Get Much Worse。 Minus one star for being too short， because each country sent me down another Wikipedia rabbit hole。 Very funny in that good British tongue-in-cheek way， and doesn't shy away from the fact that When White Europeans Show Up， Situations Tend To Get Much Worse。 Minus one star for being too short， because each country sent me down another Wikipedia rabbit hole。 。。。more
Jonathan
，
Sounds like a good idea for a book but。。。it isn't。 Tiresome stories told with too much cuteness as if written for a child。 Doesn't gel， would've worked better as a longer more detailed book concentrating on the more interesting characters and stories。 Sounds like a good idea for a book but。。。it isn't。 Tiresome stories told with too much cuteness as if written for a child。 Doesn't gel， would've worked better as a longer more detailed book concentrating on the more interesting characters and stories。 。。。more
Rhys Howell
，
Enjoyable book which doesn't go into huge detail of each country。 Lots of the countries blur into one after awhile however。 Enjoyable book which doesn't go into huge detail of each country。 Lots of the countries blur into one after awhile however。 。。。more
Rob
，
I'm a bit disappointed I paid money for this book。 The entries are brief and lack sufficient detail to make each extinct country truly noteworthy。 In fact the author's style downplays the seriousness surrounding the demise of each country making it appear an almost comical event。 I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone。 I'm a bit disappointed I paid money for this book。 The entries are brief and lack sufficient detail to make each extinct country truly noteworthy。 In fact the author's style downplays the seriousness surrounding the demise of each country making it appear an almost comical event。 I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone。 。。。more
Jim Rimmer
，
This was a fun but frivolous piece of puffery。 There are many other books that tackle different aspects of this topic in far greater depth and seriousness - Vanished Kingdoms by Norman Davies， Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson to name a few - but Defoe's effort points to an inherent absurdity in what we consider a country through the shear force of documenting folly and silliness in an appropriate style。I enjoyed it and expect I'll bump into various of these countries and characters in f This was a fun but frivolous piece of puffery。 There are many other books that tackle different aspects of this topic in far greater depth and seriousness - Vanished Kingdoms by Norman Davies， Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson to name a few - but Defoe's effort points to an inherent absurdity in what we consider a country through the shear force of documenting folly and silliness in an appropriate style。I enjoyed it and expect I'll bump into various of these countries and characters in future reads。 。。。more
Ratnam Singh
，
“Countries die。 Sometimes it’s murder， sometimes it's an accident。 Sometimes they are too ludicrous to exist in the first place。”I don’t remember the last time I laughed this heartily while reading a book。 I also didn’t know a book on extinct countries of the world could be written in such a hilarious way。 The topic in itself has a wide scope of humor but what the writer has done with it is just sublime。 It documents the extinct countries/ nations/ estates that came into existence for the most f “Countries die。 Sometimes it’s murder， sometimes it's an accident。 Sometimes they are too ludicrous to exist in the first place。”I don’t remember the last time I laughed this heartily while reading a book。 I also didn’t know a book on extinct countries of the world could be written in such a hilarious way。 The topic in itself has a wide scope of humor but what the writer has done with it is just sublime。 It documents the extinct countries/ nations/ estates that came into existence for the most farcical reasons ever， in the most ludicrous writing。 More often， the forces behind these absurd places were bonehead， self-entitled brats who had zero regards for any wits and who could invent a new country for a reason as ridiculous as their love for candies。 Gideon Defoe has not shied away from going all out on ridiculing these knuckleheads with his extremely comic writing style while holding onto a brilliantly quirky and witty approach。 You are in for a laughter-fest here my friend。 I remember completely losing it to some of the puns or sentences like， “He had stopped eating completely because by this point， he was really fed up。” or a part related to Gengis Khan who had issued a passport for his countrymen that said， “Let Pass or Die。” Oh， there is a chapter about Sikkim Estate where he mentions Indira Gandhi somewhat like， “Not a person to be trusted even with taking care of house plants was left with making a decision about a country that was going extinct。” I think everybody must read this book for elevating their hearts to the air with hearty laughter。 Weirdly brilliant facts and anecdotes are a delightful bonus！ 。。。more
L Thompson
，
Interesting subject， poorly written as a farce。
Tom
，